1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for sealing capsules, and particularly to hard shell pharmaceutical capsules having cylindrical, telescopically joinable, coaxial cap and body parts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The need for tamper-proof capsules seams from the determination that hard shell gelatin capsules containing medicaments are susceptible to tampering by separating the cap and body parts, modifying or adding to the medicaments therein, and rejoining the body and capsule parts. The prior art of U.S. Pat. No. 1,861, 047 has utilized a circular band of hardened gelatin covering the seam between the body and cap part which indicates when the capsule parts have been separated. This procedure is deficient in that tamperers can easily separate the body part from the cap part, modify or add to the medicaments therein, rejoin the capsule and body parts, and reband the rejoined capsule so as to avoid detection of tampering.
A need therefore exists to provide a simple and effective sealed tamper-proof capsule.